Sex-, age-, and time-specific visual communication in brown bears.

ABSTRACT: Intraspecific communication in mammals is well-documented but generally restricted to chemical and acoustic signaling. However, other overlooked channels, such as visual signaling, may be used to communicate among conspecifics. Here, by using experimental manipulations together with camera traps on 13 brown bear (Ursus arctos) rubbing trees in the Cantabrian Mountains (northwestern Spain), we document detailed temporal patterns and behavioral aspects of a recently discovered novel communication channel for this species, visual signaling through the trunk debarking of focal trees. Video footage showed that visual marking is a sex-, age-, and time-specific means of communication in brown bears, being performed exclusively by adult males during the mating season (mainly April-June in t

SUBMITTER: Penteriani V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10075341 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature